Clamping means



ill!!! Nov. 27,' 1962 F. C. ARRISON CLAMPING MEANS Filed Sept 21 FRANK C. ARRIS ATTOR N EYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,065,981 Patented Nov. 27, 1962 Fischer & Porter Company, Warminster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 57,466 7 Claims. (Cl. 287-54) This invention relates to clamping means and has particular reference to clamping means for interconnecting rods to provide mountings for laboratory apparatus.

The objects of the invention relate to the provision of clamping means of simple and positive type, arranged particularly to facilitate assembly and adjustment. These objects, as well as others relating to details of construction, will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view showing a preferred form of clamp for securing rods at right angles;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing a modified type of clamp provided with a laterally arranged slot to permit it to be slipped over a rod;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating;

a clamp associatedwith a base and arranged to fix a'rod at any desired inclination;

FIGURE 4 is a view looking at the base element of FIGURE 3 from the plane indicated at 4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a similar view but showing the adjustable element of the clamp as viewed from the plane indicated at 5-5 in FIGURE 3; and

IGURE 6 is a view partly in section illustrating a clamping assembly providing a universal joint between a pair of rods.

As will become apparent, the clamping means provided in accordance with the invention are arranged for the assembly of rods to provide a framework for the support of apparatus. It will be understood that when rods are referred to hereafter the term is intended to include tubes which may be used to provide a light construction. Frameworks of the type described are commonly made of aluminum rods and aluminum clamping elements, and it will be understood that except as specially noted the parts hereafter described may be made of aluminum or other corrosion-resistant materials.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated therein a clamp which is adapted to hold a pair of crossing rods at right angles, though it will be understood that with different disposition of the rod-receiving openings the rods may be clamped at other angles. The clamp comprises the body 2 provided with the transverse holes 4 l and 6. intersecting both of these at right angles at the location of their crossing is a bore 8 which is provided by drilling from the left toward the right but stopping the drilling after breakthrough but before completion of a cylindrical hole to provide a restricted conical end to the opening. The restriction thus afforded is indicated at 10 and serves to prevent movement from the righthand end of the opening of a force-transmitting rod 12 which preferably has spherical ends as shown. After this rod is placed in the opening 8, the left-hand edges of the opening are peened over at two or more places as indicated at 14. The rod or pin 12 has a diameter slightly less than that of the opening 8 so that it is loosely contained therein and has a freedom of movement between the lip provided at 10 and the peened projections at 14. his of such length as to project simultaneously to a small extent into both of the bores 4 and 6. In axial alignment with the opening 8 but at the opposite side of the bore 4 there is provided a tapped hole 16 for the reception of a securing screw 18 which may be of any of various types.

As indicated, the screw is of the Allen type provided with a hexagonal socket for reception of a wrench; but if me chanical tightening is not required, the screw may be provided as a thumb screw or wing screw, or may be in the form of a square-headed screw or provided with a screwdriver slot.

The bores 4 and 6 are somewhat larger than the rods 20 and 22 which they are arranged to receive. Clearances are exaggerated in FIGURE 1 for the purpose of indicating the clamping operation. As will be evident from this figure, the dimensions are such that the screw 18 clamps, in series, the rod 20, the rod or pin 12, and the rod 22, causing the last to engage the right-hand portion of the opening 6. When this condition is achieved the rod 20 is slightly short of being completely seated in the bore 4 so that it exerts a force through the pin 12. By reason of the spherical ends of the pin 12 and its loose mounting in the bore 8 it will be evident that the rods 20 and 22 may be readily inserted within the clamp and moved therein. The entire assembly is such that the parts may be clamped in desired relationship with ease,

being readily held by onehand during manipulation of the clamping screw by the other.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a modification which is particularly useful when onset the rods, in this case 28, is already inposition and it is desirable to clamp another rod thereto. The opening 26, corresponding to the opening 6 of FIGURE 1, is in this case provided with a lateral extension 24 opening to the exterior of the clamp so that it may be hooked about the rod 28. By reason of the inclination of the slot a secure seating of the rod 28 is achieved. The various dimensional characteristics are as previously described.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a clamp assembly including a base which is particularly adapted for the mounting of a rod to a table or wall in an adjustable position. The base, indicated at 30, and provided with openings for the reception of screws for fastening it to a table or wall, is provided with an upwardly extending post 32 provided with a milled socket 34- outwardly delimited by a flange 36, the socket having a semi-circular bottom and opening through the top of the post 32. Seated inwardly of the socket thus provided and in a further socket is a plate 38 which, if the material of the clamp element is of aluminum, is desirably of stainless steel or other hard material to provide a thrust plate for a ball as later described.

A second element 42 of the clamp is provided with a circular flange 40 receivable in the socket 34 and associated with a groove 44 which receives the flange 36. A bore 46 in the member 42 has its axis intersecting at right angles the axis defined by the groove 44. Coaxial with the groove 44 is also a bore 50 which, like the bore 8 previously described is pro-vided by drilling, but with incomplete passage of the drill so as to provide a lip 52 which will prevent full outward movement of a ball 54 having a diameter only slightly less than that of the bore 50. Peening at a plurality of points at 56 prevents the ball from falling out of the other end of the bore 50. A screw 58 is received in a tapped opening coaxial with the bore 50.

As will be evident from the construction described if the ball 54 has a diameter slightly greater than the length of the opening or bore 50, tightening of the screw 58 will provide a clamping action, in series, of the rod 48 the ball 54 and the thrust plate 3-8 to result in tight and locked engagement of the flanges 36 and 40. The result is that the rod 48 is tightly clamped in any desired position of adjustment with respect to the base 30. As previously indicated, clearances are provided to achieve the desired clamping action, the rod 48 being slightly short of seated position in the transverse bore 46 when the parts are clamped tightly together.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an assembly for connecting a pair of rods for universal angular adjustment. Since one element of this assembly is identical to element 42 of FIGURE 3, it and its associated elements are designated by the same numerals in FIGURE 6. Instead of the base member 30, there is associated with the part 42 the member 60 which is provided with a socket 62 having the same construction as the socket 34. The member 60 is provided with the transverse bore 64 which receives the rod 66 to be assembled with the rod 70. In this case the member 60 is provided with a bore 68 arranged to receive the ball 54 in its projected clamping position against the rod 66.

It will be evident that, if desired the rods to be clamped may be other than circular cylinders, the receiving openings being then suitably shaped by casting or broaching. Alternatively, definite angular positions of the rods about their own axes may be secured by providing flats or grooves therealong to receive the force-transmitting element such as the pin 12 or ball 54. The rods may be parts of apparatus-supporting plates, rings, jaw clamps, or the like and it will be evident that various modifications of construction or materials may be provided without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Clamping means comprising a member having a rod-receiving opening therein, force-transmitting means, said member having a second opening therein extending transversely of and intersecting said rod-receiving opening and dimensioned to receive loosely therein said forcetransmitting means, means for retaining the force-transmitting means in the second opening, said force-transmitting means being adapted to project simultaneously from both ends of said second opening, means for applying force to a rod in the rod-receiving opening to tranmit through it a force urging said force-transmitting means to project beyond the end of said second opening remote from the rod-receiving opening, and means for holding assembled with said member an element for engagement by the projecting portion of said force-transmitting means.

2. Clamping means according to claim 1 in which said holding means in provided by a further rod-receiving opening in said member, the last mentioned opening extending transversely to and intersecting said second openmg.

3. Clamping means according to claim 2 in which the further rod-receiving opening is in the form of a slot opening through one side of said member.

4. Clamping means according to claim 1 in which said holding means is provided by a second member and in which the first-mentioned and second members are provided with engaging parts providing a swivel connection therebetween.

5. Clamping means according to claim 1 in which the means for retaining the force-transmitting means in the second opening comprises constrictions at the ends of the second opening.

6. Clamping means according to claim 1 in which the force-transmitting means is constituted by a ball loosely mounted in said second opening.

7. Clamping means according to claim 1 in which the force-transmitting means is constituted by a cylindrical rod mounted in said second opening and having rounded ends adapted to project from thefends of said second opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,899 Morgan et a1 Oct. 14, 1919 2,433,550 Graham Dec. 30, 1947 2,497,820 Kielland Feb. 14, 1950 

